Ayatollah Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, met Sunday afternoon with Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan. President Rouhani was also present in the meeting. Speaking at the meeting, the Leader referred to the many cultural and historical relations and common points between the two countries and the role of Afghan scholars and literary personalities in developing and promoting Islamic teachings and the Persian language, reiterating: "Afghanistan has many natural resources as well as rich human and cultural resources. Therefore, all these capacities and common points should be used at the service of developing cooperation between the two countries."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed the necessity of showing determination to strengthen cooperation and solidarity between Iran and Afghanistan, saying: "Of course, the Americans and some regional countries do not know the capacities of Afghanistan. They do not want the two countries to cooperate with each other and to enjoy unity, but Iran considers the security and progress of its neighbor Afghanistan, to be its own security and progress."
Referring to the numerous achievements of Iran in scientific, technological, cultural and diplomatic arenas as areas for cooperation between Iran and Afghanistan, Ayatollah Khamenei said: "The issues between the two countries - such as the issue of immigrants, water, transportation and security - are all solvable. All these issues should be studied and resolved in a serious way and by specifying a timetable."
His Eminence pointed to the education of hundreds of thousands of Afghan immigrants in different educational levels in Iran, adding: "The people of Afghanistan are very talented and intelligent. This talent in acquiring knowledge should be utilized in a correct way because Afghan graduates are needed for reconstructing your country."
Describing Tehran as the house of Afghan brothers, he expressed hope that the domestic achievements and capabilities of the government and people of Afghanistan will increase on a daily basis.
Expressing joy at his trip to Tehran, President Ashraf Ghani stated that there is a deep cultural, historical and ancient bond between Iran and Afghanistan. He reiterated: "Our goal is to turn Afghanistan into a junction in the region and to help it recover its previous identity as the communicative crossroads of the region."
The President of Afghanistan added that Afghanistan and Iran faced the same dangers and opportunities, saying: "Our political endeavors are based on expanding relations. We should make efforts to strengthen common points and positive areas between the two countries."
He stated that the purpose of the policies that the government of Afghanistan adopts is to turn domestic conflicts into areas for cooperation. Referring to problems such as terrorism, drugs, immigrants and common river borders, he said: "The issues between the two countries should be resolved on the basis of the political determination of Iran and Afghanistan and according to the timetable that has been prepared on this trip."
Dr. Ashraf Ghani reiterated that Iran suffers the most loss from drug smuggling, adding: "None of our neighbors have taken the issue of drugs as seriously as Iran has, and no country has fought against it like Iran. We are prepared to fight against this great disaster with Iran's assistance."
Addressing the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the President of Afghanistan said: "Under your intelligent leadership, Iran has established its historical identity. We hope that on the basis of this intelligent leadership, we will witness a development in cooperation between the two countries."